Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-07-17
AN OPINION.
What People Think OF Miles
City on a Bright June
Day.
The Importance Of Irrigation
as Viewed by an
Outsider.
AS OTHERS SEE Us.

AS OTHERS SEE US.
Miles City rs Viewed by an Outsider.
Smalley's Northwest for July con-
tains the following: "Miles City is q
pleasant place to spend q June day.
when the thickets of wild roses that
surround the town and invade the
streets are In full bloom and min
gle their perfume with the aromatic
odors of the wild sage and of the young
cottOnwoo leaves. The rosetushes
grow as high as Q mans head, and
there are acres and acres Of them along
the banks Of the Tongue river and the
Yellowstone. The tall cotton woods
form natural parks around the city,
and to lover Of trees their various
and often curious shapes are an inter-
esting study. You never see two cot
tonwoods alike. One resembles an
oak. another an old apple tree, q third
an elm. One takes fancy to grow in
the shape of q bow, almost touching
the ground with its top; close by is one
which makes almost q right angle
with its trunk, after q perpendicular
growth Of fifty feet. Some branch out
like NAPLES; some grow like pines to Q
great height before putting out their
branches. Mr.. Huffman, the Miles
City photographer, has promised to
take some views of the odd trees near
the town, for reproduction in engrav-
ings in some future number of The
Northwest.
Another reason why II is pleasant
10 stop In Miles city lie, that the busi.
ness tone Of the place il cheerful and
self-reliant. II 10 not Q town of disap-
pointed expectations. A natural
growth Of the needs Of the surround.
ing country. antedating the advent Of
the railroad. 1t never had an epoch Of
absurd speculation with the necessary
reaction. but has grown steadily in
wealth, population and all lines Of
substantial progress. Every year
many creditable improvements are
made In the way Of brick business
blocks and comfortable dwellings.
The business street. which, when
first saw 1t in 1882. was . rude aggre'
CATION Of log huts and board shanties,
10 now lined from end to end with
handsome brick stores. Building ID
still in active progress, The Thomp'
son-H Houston system Of electric light
ing has just been introduced, both fol
street lamps and for stores and dwell.
ings. The next important improve.
ment, and In my opinion the most
valuable of any for the further growth
Of the town, will be the completion Of
the irrigating ditch from Tongue
river. This enterprise has had more
than one mishap. The original com
psny failed. and . new company Wa.
In fair way to complete the ditch
last year, when the dam was sweep
away. This season will see IL com
pleted. II the promises are kept. Witt
abundant water. and with the fertil'
soil and warm sun Of the valley, tn,
town will In . few years become ,
garden of flowers and fruit; and tn
surrounding lands, now covered will
sage brush, will yield heavy crops O
grain and vegetables. A great deal o
money that is now sent away for foo'
and supplies will be kept At home u
support additional population and adj
TO the wealth Of the place. believ
that this lrrigating dit,h will bring a
least 1000 more people TO Miles, Cit,
and the valley close by. II the oitl
sens could see what such bitches hav,
done for Boise City, in Idaho. for Sal
Lake, In Utah, and for BozemAn, q
central Montana, they would not b
90 patient under renewed delays In II
completion.
"Miles City 10 essentially . cattl
town, having q wide belt Of tributar
ranch country, reaching south 10 th
Wyoming line and north TO the Mi
souri, river. The winter losses of cal
tie were unusually severe this year q
all the Montana ranges, the cause HI
ing . phenomenAlly dry season Las
summer, with . consequent shortnes
Of feed, followed by phenomenal,
heavy snowfall last winter. Probabl
the lossss ON the lower yellowston
ranges will average twenty-five Pc
cent. This 10 about i've times Oh
usual winter loss. The stock men IN
not dishsartened. however, and ar
already bringing in more cattle from
Washington Territory. They know
that the chances are that another sucl
disastrous season viii not OCCUR In teI
years. Besides. there 10 some coupsn
sation for the losses In . rsmarkabl,
llarss elf crop. That the stock indus